Isomerization of paraffinic hydrocarbons



Nov. 2, 1948. a. H. sHoENlAKER 4IsommuzNrIcu or :mums mnocmnons Filed March 31, 1943 valuable products.

Patented NovfZ, 1948 ISOMEIZATION OF PARAFFINIU HYDROCABBONS Bernard E.' Shoemaker. Hammond, Ind., assigner to Standard Oil Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation o! Indiana Application March 31, 1943,-,Serial No. 481,313

is claims. (ol. v2te-683m This invention relates to a pentane conversion system and it pertains more particularly to improved methods and means for treating normal pentane with aluminum halide catalysts in the absence of added hydrogen pressures. This ap plication is a continuation-impart of my prior application, Serial No. s461339, nled .lune 13. 1942, now abandoned.

An object oi my invention is to provide a simple.v inexpensive and remarkably eiectlve method and means for converting normal pentane into more A further object is to obtain long catalyst life in a dlsproportionation reaction or a still longer catalyst life in an lsomerization reaction in the absence of added hydrogen, using an aluminum halide parailnic hydrocarbon complex catalyst with a hydrogen halide activator. A further object is to provide s. new and improved pentane conversion system which may also be employed for converting butane or mixtures of butane and pentane with minimum consumption of catalyst and activator and maximum yields of valuable products.

It is known that hydrocarbons of the light naphtha boiling range from butanes to heptanes may be converted into more highly branchedchain products by means of aluminum halide catalysts promoted by a hydrogen halide. The active life of said catalysts may be prolonged by employing hydrogen pressures in the conversion zone in the case ot normally liquid hydrocarbons or by separate hydrogen regeneration in the case of butane isomerization. Heretoforc it has been believed by those skilled in the art that hydrogen pressures were essential for obtaining a feasible catalyst life in the case oi' pentanes as well as in the case of hexanes and heptanes. I have now discovered that pentane behaves in an unexpectedly different manner from its homologs and that in the case of pentanes the use of hydrogen may be entirely dispensed with. If it i's desired to produce from normal pentane a composite product consisting essentially of -iscbutana isopentane. and branched-chain heianes and heptanes I may contact the normal pentane charging stock with a particular type of aluminum chloride catalyst in the substantial absence of aromatica and nephthenes and still obtain a reasonably long catalyst life; this phenomena is only true in the case of pentanes and to my knowledge does not hold for any other normally liquid hydrocarbon. 0n the other hand, if it is desired to convert normal pero tane to isopentane without substantial cracking or formation'of lighter or heavier products, then the contacting with the particular aluminum ha lide catalyst should be edected in the presence oi small but critically important amounts oi aro matics. The aromatcs should be employed in amounts of about .02 to 3, preferably about .l to 1% depending somewhat on the temperatures employed and other factors that will hereinafter be described. By treating the pentane fraction oi the light naphtha apart fromy hexane and other homologs and in the absence of added hydrogen, I greatly reduce construction and operating costs and at the same time obtain remarkably high yields of valuable products and long catalyst liie.

The remarkable and unexpected results obtainable by the use of pentane charging stocks in the absence of hydrogen pressures withpartic'ular aluminum halide catalysts are shown by numerous catalyst life studies made in connection with pentanes and with other hydrocarbons. The pentane employed in these catalyst lite studies was a mixture of 62% normal and 38% isopentane obtained from natural gas and it was substantially free from aromatics and naphthenes. Its CFR-M (A. S. T. M.) octane number was 74.2. In the irst catalyst life Astudy a stirred batch reactor was employed into which was charged about 1.7 gallonsof pentanes per pound of aluminum chloride together with about 2.8 weight percent of hydrogen chloride based on pentanes charged. The conversion was eilfected at about 212 F. and at a pressure of 200 to'250 pounds per square inch for a period of two hours after which the resulting complex was separated from product and additional pentane charge was added to the complex together with 2.8 weight percent of hydrogen chloride based on added charge and the reaction was then continued for another three hours. Thirteen separate tests were made with this same catalyst and after each test the weight percent o! butanes in the product was determined and a CFR-M octane 'number of the debutanized liquid product was likewise determined. The results of these tests are as follows:

Table I Isomerization of pentanes without Hz and ben# zene: 4

l Dcbutanized product.

From the above table it will be noted that during the initial portion of the catalyst life the predominant reaction was cracking since butane production was more than 50% oi' the total reaction products. It will also be observed'thatthe octane number of the normally liquid product after the iirst hour or two of operation was not appreciably better and in some cases was even worse than the octane number of the charging stock (which was 74.2 CFR-M) A composite was made of the total product from the first iive runs and when this composite was fractionated it showed the following product distribution:

Per cent vol.

Butanes 34.0 Isopentane 15.5 n-Pentane 21.6 Neohexane 3.9 Diiospropyl 1.4 2-methylpentane 7.8 3-methylpentane -s 3.2 n-Hexane 27.1 Ce+ 10.5

1t win abe observed that about one-third of the Iproduct constituted isobutane, another one-third vpentanes and another one-third hexanes and for isomerization under hydrogen pressure to =pro duce "isoxnate or neohexane which is an ex- .tremeiy valuable aviationblending stock. I'he above reaction may be referred to as a dispropor- Y tionation of pentane for producing isobutane and hexanesv (together with some heavier hydrocarbons) p It has long been known that isobutane could 'be produced from heavier hydrocarbons (U. S. Patent No. 2,172,146) but pentane is the only normally liquid hydrocarbon that can thus be rdisproportionated with a relatively long catalyst life. With pentane the catalyst life may be of the order of gallons of disproportion products per pound of aluminum chloride while with hexanes, heptanes or higher hydrocarbons the catalyst life will be only about 1 gallon Iper pound or less. This pentane disproportionation step may -be employed in conjunction with a hexane isomerization system for obtaining maximum catalyst utilization in the production of i-sobutane (for alkylation) and hexanes for the production of neohexane, rboth isobutane and neohexane being extremely valuable for the manufacture of aviation gasoline.

A similar catalyst life study was made in exactly the same manner as that hereinabove described with the added feature oi' including 0.5% of benzene in the pentane changing stock. The results of this second catalyst life test were as follows:

Table II Isomerization of pentanes+0.5% benzene in the charge and without H2.

Gals. b. A1 1i Run No.

CFR-Ml l Debutanized product. I No benzene.

The remarkable and unexpected eiect of this critically small amount of benzene in inhibiting cracking and preventing side reactions is shown by the reduction of butane formation during the first period from 55% down to 3.7%. Thus it can be calculated that one molecule of benzene inhibits the formation of at least molecules of butane. Another striking and unexpected result was the continued high product octane number even up to 17 gallons of charge per pound of aluminum chloride. It will be noted that in runs II-O and II-P the benzene was omitted from the charge with .the consequence that vbutane production quickly jumped from 3.5 to 50% and product octane number dropped to '77.7 CFR-M. When Ibenzene was once more included in the charge in run II-Q the -butane production dropped sharply to 10.3 and the product octane number increased back to 80.7.

The debutanized product obtained in the absence oi hydrogen and with 0.5% benzene in the pentane charge consisted of approximately 75% isopentane, 20% normal lpentane and 5% hexanes and heavier. Note the sharp contrast between `these product distributions and the debutanized product distribution obtained in .the absence of added benzene where the isopentane was only about 23%, the normal pentane about 33% and the hexane and heavier about 44%. The presence of the added benzene thus directs the reaction directly toward isomerization and substantially eliminates the side reactions of cracking, disproportionation, eta-it results in a marked octane number-improvement in the debutanized product which improvement is not effected to any appreciable extent in the absence of the added benzene or equivalent material.

proximately 0.1% to 1%.

ArrE outstanding feature of the'operation in the -presehce of .|596 benzene was the prolonged cata- .lyst activity in the absence of added hydrogen,

In the above runs (Table II) the catalyst activity at'ilrst gradually increased and thereafter the activi-ty slowly diminished although the catalyst was still quite active at the end of the test. When hexaneavheptanes, etc., areemployed-instead of pentanes in the absence of hydrogen, the small amount of added benzene inhibits cracking to a benzene might be due` to the longtime of contact and a test was therefore made on the pentane charge in the absence of benzene with only 5 minute contact times. the reaction conditions otherwise remaining the same. In the first period of this test the isobutane production was 42.5%, in the second period 31.9% and the third period 25.9%. The debutanized product from the third period reaction had an octane number of only 72.8. Lowering the temperature vto 150 F. caused a drastic lowering in debutanized product octane number and still resulted in highv butano production. The above tests clearly show that when pentenes are treated with aluminum chic ride catalyst in the absence of hydrogen and in the absence of cracking inhibitors, the cracking and disproportionetion reactions are may foldl Since added benzene proved to be so eective a cracking inhibitor an eort was made to inhibit the cracking by adding the aromatico to the complex instead of to the charging stock. When 1% of aromaties based on feed was chemically combined with the complex however. the butane production was 58.1%. This proves beyond question that the added inhibitor must be present in the hydrocarbons undergoing conversion or merely dissolved inthe complex and not a chemical component of the complex.. The preferred catalyst is a complex resulting from the action of aluminum chloride and hydrogen chloride on the pentane charging stock itself. Paraiiinic or parsfllnic and naphthenic hydrocarbons in general may also be usedbut on relatively large scale tests it has been found that a catalyst which has previously been successfully used for lsomerizing a hexane cut of light naphtha in'the presence of hydrogen does not always respond to the inhibiting action of `benzene when such catalyst is subsequently employed for pentane isomerlzation. The larger scale tests have proved, however. the effectiveness of the critical small amounts of b'enzene in a pentane charging stock when the catalyst ,results from the-reaction of aluminum chloride and hydrogen chloride'with a portion of said charging stock.

In the above tests 0.5% of benzene based on pentane charge was employed but in other tests we have found that the amount of benzene may vary within the approximate range of 0.02 to'3%. the optimum range for Vmostfpurposes being ap- Butane formation is inhibited to a greater extent by the use of as much as 2% or 3% of benzene at `'about 200 F.

meedoet that is reasonably possible for inhibiting butano formation in order that I may obtain maximum vabout 200 F. without lowering catalyst activity beyond the point reached when only about 10 gallons per pound of aluminum chloride with 2% benzene (based on charge) is employed at the same conversion temperature.

Tests in a continuous tower reactor have demonstrated the commercial feasibility of my improved pentane conversion processes. Employing a tower lreactor about two-thirds to threefourths filled with aluminum chloride complex and by passing liquid pentane chargecontaining the stated amounts of aromatica or naphthenes upwardly through the column of complex inthe tower at a weight space velocity of the order of 0.4 to d volumes of charge per hour per volume of complex in the column. I have shown that at about 200 F. y(e. g.. 214 F.) butane production can be held in the vicinity oi about 1% with `aliriounts of benzene ranging from 1% to .i% in the pentane feed. However. ii the column conthine appreciable amounts of free aluminum chioride (es distinguished from aluminum chloride combined in the complex) at least about .25 to 1% of aromatico should berused in the charge. It is preferable in this cese to start the reaction with about 1% or more of aromatics in the charge and then to reduce the amount of arometics in the charge when equilibrium has been reached.

It should be pointed out that the optimum amount of aromatics for inhibiting side reactions is somewhat dependent on conversion ternperatures. the general vicinity of about 0.5% whiie et about V 300 F. the optimum is in the general vicinity of about 2%. nt higher temperatures, and par tlcularly in the startingmp stage oi' the process the aromatic content may be of the order of about 3%. After equilibrium has been reached. lesserl amounts of aromatics are required; at about 300 F. aromatics may be reduced to about 1% or lower and at about 200 F. aromatics may be reduced to the order of about 0.02% although about .25 to .5% is recommended as a safety factor. 'I'hus it may be stated that the optimum range is 0.02% to 3% of aromatics based on feed and in view oi the above explanation it should be unnecessary to correlate the aromatic content of the feed with conversion temperature or operating procedure in any further detail.

While benzene is a preferred example of the aromatic employedwith the pentane feed stock in the practice of my invention it should be understood that other aromatica may be employed such as toluene, xylenes, alkyl benzenes, naphthalenes and substituted aromatics generally. Naphtl'ienes may serve somewhat the same function as aromatics provided that they are employed in considerably larger amounts the optimum range in this case being of the order of about At about 200' F; the optimum is in amount of naphthenes. A mixture may be better than either inhibitor alonel particularly from the standpoint of catalyst life. Y

The invention will be more clearly understood 4from the following detailed description of a specific example thereof read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification and which is aiiow diagram of a commercial 1500 barrel per day pentane isomerization plant.

A typical renery pentane stream which is preferably sweetened, debutanized and dehexanized is introduced by line I to isopentane tower Il at the rate of about 1500 barrels per day. In this specific example the composition of. the feed on a volume basis is about 2% normal butane. 40% isopentane, 55% normal pentane and 3% hexanes and heavier. Tower I I may be about 7 1/2 feet in diameter by about 110 feet tall, it may be provided with about 50 plates or trays and may be operated at a pressure of about 25 pounds gauge with a top temperature of about 140 F. and a bottom temperature of about '160 F. A suitable reboiler I2 maintains this bottom temperature. The top temperature is maintained by reux introduced through line I 3. A product stream of approximately- 1200 barrels per day is introduced into this tower through line I4 at a higher point, for example at the 17th tray when the charging stock is introduced at the 33rd tray. About 11,200 barrels per day of overhead is withdrawn from the top of this tower through line I5 and condenser I6 to receiver I1 irom which .about 1430 barrels per day are withdrawn through line I8 to debutanizer tower I9, the balance being recycled through line I3 to serve as reflux in the top ature of 224 F. maintained by reboiler 2 I. About 1875 barrels per day of butane, chiey isobutane, is taken overhead through line 22 through cond'enser 23 to receiver 24. Approximately 110 to 115 barrels per day of butanes, chiefly isobutane, is withdrawn from the system through line 25 and the balance returned through line 20 to serve as reilux in tower I9. Y

The isopentane product stream iswithdrawn vfrom the base of tower I9 through line 26 at the rate of about 1315 to 1320 barrels per day. On a volume basis the composition of this isopentane. is about 0.5% butano, 95% isopentane and 4.5% normal pentane.

' 8 the v isomerization y system benzene is introduced thereto through line 31 at the rate of about 6 barrels per day in order that the charging stock may The normal pentane and heavier components are withdrawn from the base of tower I I through line 21 and introduced4 to rerun tower 28 which may be about 31/2' feet in diameter'by about 46 feet tall and 'which operates at about 25 pounds" gauge pressure with a' top temperature of 159 F. maintained by introduction of reflux through line 29 and a bottom temperature of 205 F. maintained by reboiler 30. The hexanes and heavier;

zation system.: Before this charging stock entera contain about 0.5% of aromatlcs. A portion of the charge may by-pass heater 38 through line 38 in order to obtain the desired operating tempera- `ture in the isomerization reactor. About barrels per day of thev heated charge is passed through line 39 and one of the aluminum chloride zdrums 40 or 40a for dissolving suillcient aluminum chloride to maintain catalyst activity at the desired level. Approximately 850 pounds or less per day of aluminum chloride may thus be required i'or make-up. The solution of make-up aluminum chloride may be introduced by line 4I to reactor 42 either continuously or intermittently.

The remaining-1080 barrels per day of .charging stock is introduced by lines 43 and 44 to reactor 42v along with hydrogen chloride from line 45. About 500 pounds per day oi' hydrogen chloride may be supplied to the system from an external source through line 46 and the remainder recycled through line 41 so that the charging stock entering reactor 42 will contain approximately 6% by weight of hydrogen chloride. To minimize corrosion difiiculties the charging stock-hydrogen chloride stream may be introduced through line 44 separate from the aluminum chloride solution introduced through 4 I. Otherwise this added precaution may not be necessary.

Reactor 42 may be a vertical cylindrical vessel about 41/2' feet in diameter by about 32 feet in height and in this case it is operated at a pressure of about 300 pounds gauge and a temperature of about 215 F. The tower is about one-half to three-fourths lled with an aluminum chloridehydrocarbon complex which is preferably made by the reaction of a portion of the charging stock with aluminum chloride in the presence of hydrogen chloride. This complex may either be formed in situ or introduced from an external source. It may be made from other hydrocarbons in the charging stock but in such case it is preferred that the hydrocarbons be substantially free from oleiins and aromatics, a paraffinic hydrocarbon complex being highly preferred. The space velocity in the reactor will thus be seen to be approximately one volume of charging stock per hour per volume of catalyst complex in the reactor and the pressure is sufcient to maintain liquid phase conditions therein. In the lower or main part of the reactor .the column of liquid complex is apparently in a continuous phase and the charging stock passes upwardly therethrough in intimate contact therewith. In the upper part of the reactor the hydrocarbon is the continuous phase and complex settles from the upflowing hydrocarbon product back to the mass of complex liquid in the reactor. Alternately, of course,the settling may be effected entirely in a separate zone. The product stream leaves the reactor through line 48, pressure reducing valve 49 and cooler 5D to accumulator drum 5I which operates at about pounds 'gauge and about atmospheric to 100 F. temperature. Under these conditions most of the hydrogen chloride is dissolved in the liquid product and any gases may be vented through line 52' without losing" appreciable amounts of hydrogen chloride. With a total charge of feed stock, benzene and hydrogen chloride of almost 14,000 pounds per hour, less than 10 pounds per hour of gases will have to be vented through line 52 and the hydrogen chloride vented from the :5 .system at this point will thus be not more than about 25 pounds per day in this 1500 barrel per day isomerization plant.

Any catalyst complexwhich separates out in settling drum Bl ls-returnedby line |53 to reactor 42. The product stream which ilws over weir 54 is withdrawn through line 55 and introduced by pump 58 to hydrogen chloride stripper 51 which may be a corrosion resistant tower about The stripped product is withdrawn from the base of stripper 52 through line B8 and cooler 60 to mixer 64 wherein it is intimatelyA mixed with fresh 20% caustic introduced at the rate of about barrels per day from line 0l and recycled caustic from line 62 at the rateoi' about 300 barrels per day. The mixture of product and caustic is allowed to settle in caustic settler 63, the settled` caustic being withdrawn through line 65a from which about 5 barrels per day is removed through line 85 as spent caustic.

The caustic treated product is then passed through line 88 to mixer 01 wherein it is mixed with water introduced at the rate of about 300 barrels per day from line B8. The wash water is settled from the product in settler 88 and the settled water withdrawn through line 10. The

water washed product then passes through linev i4 to isopentane4 tower Il as hereinabove described. A

Spent complex leaves reactor 42 through line li to storage drum 72. Likewise active catalyst may be withdrawn from the reactor to the storage drum when occasion demands and such active catalyst may then be returned to the storage drum by means of pump i3 and line 14.' Spent catalyst may be withdrawn from the system through line l5. jli' desired the catalyst may be recycled after regenerating it by treatment with hydrogen, preferably in the presence oi hydrogen chloride at a temperature within the range of 200-450 F. and a pressure of 500-1500 pounds per square inch. When spent complex is withdrawn to drum l2 it passes through pressure reducing valve in line il and a vent line l is pro vided to permit the escape oi hydrogen chloride.

and hydrocarbon gases released on reduction of pressure on the complex. To prevent corrosion and coklng in drum `l2 the spent catalyst is protected from moisture and air by gas blanketing the drum with either dried, inert or hydrocarbon gas introduced through line Ti.

From the specific example hereinabove set forth it will be seen that a remarkably effective pentane isomerization unit can be built and operated at a relatively low pressure in` the absence of added hydrogen and with relatively low construction and operating costs. A remarkable feature of this process is the extremely low prcuiuc-r tion of lighter and heavier hydrocarbons from the pentane charging stock, the relatively long catalyst life and high activity, and the simplicity of the system as a whole. The unexpectedly remarkable and important results obtained are due in large measire to the presence of the critically .deilned small amount of aromatics and the substantial elimination of hexanes and heavier hye drocarbons from the charging stock. The amount of hexanes in the charge which actually enters reactor 42 should be as low as commer-x cially feasible and generally speaking should not exceed about Advantageous results. may be obtained with as much as oi.' hexanes in the charge entering reactor 42 but I prefer to keep the hexane content of such charge down to at least about 5% or lower.

The above example is illustrative only and is by no means limitative. The conversion temperature is preferably within the range oi 100,to

350 F. but higher or lower temperatures may be used. The pressure is preferably sumcient to maintain liquid phase conversion conditions. IThe space velocity is preferably within the range oi' about .3 to 3 yolumes of charging stock per hour per volume of complex in the reactor but will depend on catalyst activity and with speciilc lcatalysts may be higher or lower than this prei'erred range. The amount oi aromatics is Within the range of about .02 to 3% by volume. de-

l pending somewhat upon'the temperature of the operation, about .1 to 1% being desirable for operations 4at temperatures oi the order of about 200 to 250 F. I may employ more than one reactor and i'or` example may employ arst reactor at 250 F. with a partially spent catalyst followed by another reactor at approximately 200 F. with a more active catalyst. In each tower the column of catalyst should be at least about 5 feet high, the usual height being within the range-oi' 10'to 50 feet-this being important for obtaining the necessary extent of contact.

The pressure in the settler may range from about 100 to .200 pounds per square inch, or more, the higher pressures being desirable if large'amounts loi butane are present.

My invention makes it possible for the first time to isomerize butanes and pentanes simultaneously in the same system. Heretof'ore simultaneous isomerization of these two hydrocarbons was'not commercially feasible because the presence oi as little as 0.5% pentane caused poor catalyst life in the absence of hydrogen pressures and the use of hydrogen pressures for improving catalyst liferesulted in suppressing the isomerization of butane to a pronounced degree. By adding about 0.1 to 3% of aromatics to a butane-pentane mixture it is possible to obtain remarkably long catalyst life and to effect remarkably high conversions per pass of both the butane and the pentane components. The fractionation system must of course be amplified to eiect separation of isobutane from normal butane and the charging stock in this case will be a mixture of the normal butane fraction with the normal pentane fraction. Temperatures and space velocities for simultaneously isomerizing butane and pentane may be approximately the same as for fpressure in the separator may be somewhat l higher, e, g., about 200 to 250 pounds per square inch' in order to vent-any light gases which might be formed in the reaction without losing appreciable amounts of butanes or hydrogen chloride.

Generally speaking, however, a combined pen' tane-butane stream may be handled in much the same manner as the pentane stream itself and the normal butane may be substantially -quantitatively converted into isobutane (about 60% conversion per pass) at the same time that the normal pentane is being converted to isopentane. s

' With aluminum halide paraiiinic hydrocarbon complex catalyst life and catalyst activity are maintained to a remarkable extent by thev inclusionlof the critically small amount of aromatica with the pentane charge .and as already pointed out, the aromatics must be in the charging stock rather than combined in the complex itself. The so-called Gustavson complex or other complexes prepared from aromatic hydrocarbons are not suitable for use in this process and the amount of aromatics added to the feed should be as low as commercially feasible to avoid formation of complex by reaction of added aromatics with make-up aluminum chloride. While my invention is primarily directed to the use of the aluminum halide parai'ilnic hydrocarbon complex it should be understood, however, that other Friedel-Crafts catalysts may be used as well-as anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, aqueous hydrogen fluoride-boron fluoride compositions, other active metal halide hydrocarbon complexes, double salts oi aluminum halides or other active metal halides.

ployed along with the Friedel-Crafts catalysts per se but such additives or promoters are usually unnecessary.

It will be understood from the above description that my pentane conversion system may be employed in conjunction with other conversion systems.. The small amount oi hexanesiormed in the pentane isomerization process (or the large amount of hexanes formed by a pentane disproportionation process) may be charged to a hexane isomerization system employing the same general type of catalyst but operating under substantial hydrogen pressure. The isobutane produced by simultaneously isomerizing pentanes and butanes (or produced by the disproportionation of pentane inthe absence of added aromatics) may be charged to an alkylation plant for treatment with oleilnspto produce aviation gasoline and other valuable hydrocarbons.

While I have described in considerable detail a specific example of my invention it should ybe understood that the invention is not limited thereto lyst promoted by a hydrogen halide activator, which method comprises isomerizing said hydrocarbons by contacting them with said catalyst under isomerization conditions in the presence of an amount of an aromatic hydrocarbon within the approximate range oi 0.02 to l3% by volume based on parailln hydrocarbon charging stock.

4. The method o1' isomerizing normal pentane which method comprises adding to said pentane an amount of an'aromatic hydrocarbon within the approximate range of 0.02 to 3% by volume based on saidpentane, contacting said pentane in the presence of said additive with an aluminum halide-hydrocarbon complex promoted by a hydrogen halide activator under isomerization conditions and separating catalyst and activator from product after said contacting step.

5. The methodv of isomerizing pentanes for the proximate range of 2 to 20% by weight based on charging stock with an aluminum halide parafilnic-hydrocarbon complex in an isomerization zone at a temperature within the approximate range of 100 to 350 F. under a pressure suiiicient to maintain liquid phase conversion conditions and at a space velocity within the approximate range or .3 to 3 volumes of charging stock per volume of complex per hour, cooling the conversion products and reducing the pressure thereon to facilitate venting of gases while retaining the bulk oi the activator in product solution, stripping activator from the `product and returning said stripped activator to the' isomerization'zone, neu- 1 tralizing the stripped product and fractionating since innumerable modifications and alternative operating conditions will be lapparent 'to those skilled in the art from the above description.

Iclaim: 1. The meth'od of isomerizing normal parailin hydrocarbons of more than 3 but less than 6 carbon atoms by means of a Friedel-Crafts catalyst YAwhich method comprises isomerizing said hydrocarbons by contacting them with said catalyst under isomerizing conditions in the presence ofk an amount of an aromatic hydrocarbon within the approximate range of .1 to 1% by volume based on paraiiin lhydrocarbon charging stock.

3. 'I'he method of isomerizing normal parailln hydrocarbons of more than 3 but less than 6 car- -bon atoms by means of an aluminum halide catathe neutralized productto obtain an isopentane fraction.

6. The meth'od of claim 5 wherein the conversion zone is maintained at a temperature in the general vicinity of about 200 F. and the amount oi aromatic hydrocarbons is in the general vicinity of about 0.5% by volume based on charging stock.

7. The method of simultaneously isomerizing a mixture of normal pentane and normal butane which method comprises adding a small amount of aromatic hydrocarbon within the approximate range of 0.02 to 3% by volume to a butane-'pentane "mixture containing less th'an 20% of heavier hydrocarbons, contacting said charging stock in the presence of said additive with an aluminum chloride paramnic hydrocarbon complex in the presence of about 2 to 20% by weight of hydrogen chloride based on charging stock in an isomerization zone at a temperature within the approximate range of to 350 F.. and under sufficient pressure to maintain liquid phase conversion conditions, maintaining a column of catalyst in said zone at least about 5 feet in depth and employing a space velocity within the approximate range of .3 to 3 volumes ofliquid charging stock per hour per volume of complex in the reaction zone, separating catalyst material and activator from reaction products and fractionating 13 said reaction products to separate' an isopentane fraction from a higher boiling fraction.

' 8.' The method of producing isopentane which method comprises fractionating a light hydrocarbonV in a fractionation zone to obtain a butane fraction, an isopentane fraction, a normal pentane fraction and a fraction heavier than normal pentane, adding about 0.02 to 3% by volume o f an aromatic hydrocarbon to the normal pentane fraction, contacting said normal pentane fraction together with said additive with an aluminum halide isomerization catalyst under isomerlzatlon conditions in the absence'of added hydrogen, separating catalyst material from isomerization products and introducing said isomerization products into said fractionation zone.

9. The method ot producing isopentane which comprises fractionating a pentane ch'arging stock for removing a butane'fraction, an isopentane fraction, a normal pentane fraction and heavier amaca:

fraction,` adding about .05 to 3% by volume of an aromatic hydrocarbon to said'normal pentane fraction, contacting said normal pentane fraction together with the added aroma-tic with a column oi' aluminum halide parail'inic hydrocarbon comples in the presence of a hydrogen halide activator at a temperature within the range c! 100 to 350 F. and at a pressure sumcient to mainl tain liquid phase conversion conditions, stripping the hydrogen halide activator from the products,

returning thehydrogen halide activator together with make-up hydrogen halide activator to the conversion zone. neutralizing the stripped products and returning said neutralized products to said fractionation zone.

10. The method of isomerlzing normal pentane which method comprises contacting said normal pentane with an aluminum.chloridefhydrocarbon complex promoted by hydrogen chloride underA isomerization conditions in the presence of an amount of an aromatic hydrocarbon within the approximate range of .02 to 3% by volume based on said normal pentane charge and in the absence of any substantial amount of added hydrogen or paraillnic hydrocarbons heavier than pentane; re-

moving from the isomerization zone complex.

which has become relatively spent, regenerating atleast a part of the removed catalyst by treating it with hydrogen in the presence of hydrogen chloride at a temperature within the approximate range oi 200 to li150" F. and a pressure within the approximate range of 500 to 1500 pounds per square inch and recycling the regenerated catalyst to the isomerization zone.

l1. The method of isomerlzing a hydrocarbon fraction consisting o! normal pentane which method comprises contacting said normal pentane withaluminum chloridepromoted by hydrogen chloride under isomerization conditions in the presence of 0.1 to 0.7% by volume of benzene based on said normal pentane lch'arge.

12. The method of isomerlzing normal pentane which method comprises adding to said pentane an amount of an aromatic hydrocarbon within the range of about .1 to 3% by volume based on said pentane, contacting said pentane in the pres ence of said additive with an aluminum halideparaiinic hydrocarbon' complex promoted by a promoted by hydrogen chloride under isomerization conditions in the presence of an amount oi with an aluminum chloride isomerization catalyst promoted by hydrogen chloride under isomerization conditions in the presence of an amount of i benzene within the lrange of about .1 to 3% by volume oi' benzene based fraction.

15. In a process for isomerlzing normal pentane to iso-pentane wherein said normal pentane is contacted with a halide isomerization catalyst f comprising a hydrogen Vhalide under isomeriza tion conditions and wherein the contactirr; of

said normal pentane with said catalyst undersaid conditions normally results in substantial pentane degradation due to cracking, the improvement which comprises eil'ecting said contacting in the presence of an amount of added aromatic hydrocarbon suiiicient to substantially 1 inhibit said cracking but insuiliclent to materially impair the isomerization activity of the catalyst.

16. The method of isomerlzing normal pentane which method` comprises contacting said normal pentane with an aluminum chloride isomerization catalyst: promoted by hydrogen chloride under such isomerization conditions that substantial cracking ofthe pentane would normally result,

rated hydrocarbon fraction containing a substancarbon within the approximate range of 0.1 to 3% by volume on the basis of the hydrocarbons charged, and contacting said hydrocarbon frac- 'tion containing said additive with an aluminum halide catalyst and a hydrogen halide promoter 'under isomerization conditions such that said hydrocarbons normally would undergo vsubstanproportionof added aromatic hydrocarbon being such that cracking is substantially inhibited while substantial normal paramn isomerization takes place' as the principal reaction ofthe process.

18.-The method of isomerlzing normal pentane which comprises adding to said pentane an amount of a, mononuclear aromatic hydrocarbon of the benzene series within the approximate range of 0,1 to 3% by volume based on the normal pentane charge, and contacting said normal pentane at a temperature of about to 250 F. with an aluminum halide catalyst and a hydrogen halide promoter under isomerization conditions at which said normal pentane would normally undergo'rsubstantial cracking in the ab-` sence of said additive, the proportion of added Varomatic hydrocarbon of the benzene series and the temperature of contacting being such that -cracking is substantiallyinhibited while sub stantial isomerization of normal pentane to isoon said hydrocarbon pentane takes place'as the principal reaction o! the process. l

- sisting essentially of normal pentane which process comprises contacting said charging stock with a halide isomerization catalyst comprising ahydrogen halide under isomer-ization conditions in the presence of an amount of an alkyl benzene which amount lis within the rango o1' .02 to 3% l0 by vo'lume based on said charging stock.

BERNARD H. SHOEMAKER.

REFERENCES CITED Nulnber Nunlber le of this patent.:

16 t UNITED STATES PATENTS Name y Date DOuville et al. ---1--- Dec. 16, 1941 Hoog July 7, 1942 Evering et ai Aug. 25, 1942 Van Peski Oct. 20, 1942 Everlng et a1 Oct. 27, 1942 McMillan Dec. 22. 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Country s. Date Netherlandsy Mar. 17, 1942 

